


A New Start

by kez



Category: Primeval, Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Crossover, First Time, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-22
Updated: 2011-05-22
Packaged: 2017-10-19 17:02:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/203128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kez/pseuds/kez
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peter Kavanagh has the chance of a new start, on a new project far away from the Stargate Program.  Can he make it work?</p>
            </blockquote>





	A New Start

**Author's Note:**

> Primeval S2 AU. Ryan didn't die, we still have Claudia, they have the ARC and Nick knows about Stephen and Helen. Also, this was started before S3 – so before Connor's anomaly closing device and ignores that - and various season 3 characters and storylines. With many thanks to fififolle for indulging my insanity during this story and for providing beta service not once, but twice Also has *hints* of McKay/Sheppard if you squint right...

Peter Kavanagh shivered as he stepped out of the plane into the cool autumn day. A mother and three kids bustled behind him, one of them a loud, squirming brat that he'd place around four kicking his back while the mother tried to wrangle him. Kavanagh bit his lip and let her past.

There was a man standing at the baggage claim with a sign, his name scribbled haphazardly across the front of it and Kavanagh joined him after retrieving his suitcase. The man had the stuffy look of a military escort even though he was in civvies, but he didn't do more than welcome Kavanagh to England and tell him that Sir James Lester would be expecting him in the morning for a briefing but the day was his to rest and settle into the flat they'd rented for him.

Kavanagh never really bothered with idle small talk and his escort didn't seem that bothered with it either, so he didn't feel obligated as they drove through London's streets out of the city. Almost an hour had passed when they finally pulled up outside a nice, if plain-looking building with magnolia walls and two large green ferns outside. "Can I help you upstairs with this, Sir?" the escort asked.

"No," Kavanagh said. Taking the keys and noting the apartment number and entry code, he didn't bother with the pleasantries of saying goodbye either.

The apartment was nice, bland but nice, three boxes he'd had shipped over were stacked in one corner of the living room next to an empty bookcase and a lamp. He'd have to unpack them, he supposed, at some point, but it was already mid-afternoon and even though he'd slept on the flight he was tired. Braving the fridge he was glad to see the basics stocked, milk, butter, cheese and ham, the cupboards provided bread, a few tinned goods and the necessaries for making coffee and tea.

He was in the middle of making coffee when the phone rang. "Hello?" he tried not to sound as tired as he felt.

"Doctor Kavanagh? Claudia Brown, we spoke on the phone a few days ago." The feminine voice was polite but friendly and Kavanagh wondered if she was anything like Weir - she sounded like she could be.

"Miss Brown," Kavanagh kept his manners, no point in pissing anyone off on his first day, he'd done that often enough at the SGC, it's one of the reasons he'd jumped at the chance to come here when word of the project leaked down to General Landry, a fresh start, a truly fresh start, away from anything and anyone associated with the Stargate program – and prehistoric creatures aside, this project had sounded fascinating.

"I just wanted to call and say hello, see if you had everything you needed, I took the liberty of getting a few essentials and I left a pack on the desk with details of bus and train schedules, maps and local amenities.”

Kavanagh hadn't actually made it as far as the desk, which he assumed was on the second level of the penthouse apartment, but he thanked her anyway.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Doctor Kavanagh," Claudia said.

Biting his lip and deciding if he was really going to do this, he might as well go all out, he told her to please call him Peter and said goodbye with a level of politeness that would have given McKay a heart attack. Kavanagh snorted, it would have been worth seeing.

*~*~*~*~*

The pack Claudia had left was certainly comprehensive, everything from dry cleaners to the best place to get bagels, he'd give her credit for that one, they'd made a pleasant breakfast before he attempted the public transport system, that was a less pleasant experience, but it got him where he needed to be on time.

James Lester was exactly the sort of man Kavanagh had been expecting, snappy suit, straight and to the point. "I admit I'm quite curious why you were sent here," Lester said. "I was told you'd bring a unique perspective but not why."

"The last project I worked on was classified at the highest levels of government, both mine and yours," Kavanagh said. Just because the SGC knew about the Anomalies, didn't mean anyone wanted these people knowing about the Stargate.

Lester raised one eyebrow, in a way that was amusingly reminiscent of Teal'c. "Well, then I'm sure you'll have no problem with the secrecy of this project. However, this project is somewhat more dangerous than your average scientist usually encounters, I'm sure you read the files you were sent."

"I read them," Kavanagh confirmed.

"You don't seem overly shocked or perturbed," Lester said.

Kavanagh shrugged. "Perhaps I'm just naturally unflappable."

Lester seemed amused by that. "I'll introduce you to Professor Cutter and his team this afternoon. In the mean time I believe Miss Brown is waiting eagerly to give you a tour of our facilities and bring you more up to speed with the project."

"Thank you," Kavanagh shook the man’s hand and removed himself from his office, giving himself a mental congratulations, half an hour with the boss and he hadn't insulted him. Perhaps he could put the SGC behind him after all.

*~*~*~*~*

Claudia Brown wasn't quite as like Weir as he'd imagined - while she presented the same friendly but polite attitude he'd seen Weir use on occasion, but rarely with him, she was still far from his previous commanding officer in both stature and personality.

"The ARC is a reasonably new facility; we've only actually been here a few months," Claudia said. "The old Home Office facilities weren't really going to work long term. Here we've got much more space, more staff and we're better equipped to deal with the threats the anomalies present."

Kavanagh tried to look interested, but Claudia, while nice enough, was a little boring. "And this is the anomaly detector," she announced. "And one of our resident experts, at least as much as anyone can be an expert on the Anomalies, Connor Temple. Connor here created the detector. Connor, this is Doctor Kavanagh."

"Hi," Connor grinned up through floppy hair, chewing the end of a pen - he was younger and missing the thick East European accent, but something about the young man reminded him of Zelenka.

"Hello," Kavanagh nodded. "So this is the detector, I've seen the schematics, impressive engineering."

Connor's grin brightened. "Thanks, it was Cutter who first thought of the way to detect them, you know, I just put this together."

"How did you discover the anomalies affected the radio waves?" Kavanagh asked.

"We were in a bowling alley, there were raptors," Connor said. "Cutter..."

"Excuse me gentleman, I'll just leave you two to it, if you don't mind. Doctor, if you need anything just ask," Claudia smiled politely.

Kavanagh nodded and Connor continued chattering excitedly as Claudia left them.

*~*~*~*~*

"Nick Cutter," the man with dirty blonde hair and two days of stubble greeted with a smile. "I hope Connor here hasn't been boring you to death."

Kavanagh shook his hand. "Peter Kavanagh, Connor's just been catching me up on a few things."

"Actually we've just been discussing how to improve the detector," Connor said, grinning brightly.

"And because Connor forgets his manners and explodes with technobabble most of us can't understand, I'm Stephen Hart," the dark haired man said.

Kavanagh accepted the handshake, but didn't feel the need to repeat his own introductions. Hart was smiling a flirty, but polite smile, with blue eyes and lashes his sister would kill for. The man was very nearly too pretty.

"The upgrades could help us detect anomaly sites before they appear," Connor continued irrepressibly. "Do you know what that could mean?"

Cutter gave the young man an affctionate smile, ruffling his hair. "Why don't you explain, Connor."

Kavanagh watched, amused as Connor launched into an explanation of the last hour's discussions, musing excitedly about the possibilities of advanced warning of the anomalies.

"Seems you're making an impression, Doctor Kavanagh, here less than a day and you have Mr. Temple expounding your virtues like you're the new Yoda," Lester startled him. "Quite the turn around from your previous colleagues."

Kavanagh bit back a snappy retort, turning to Lester. "I'll assume you've read what Weir and McKay had to say about me then." He was going to send Landry an unpleasant e-mail, he'd promised those reports wouldn't be sent. Best for everyone if he just got a fresh start.

"Among others," Lester said.

"You didn't comment upstairs," Kavanagh said.

"I thought I'd wait and see how long it took you to piss someone off," Lester said.

Connor was still rattling on excitedly behind him, Cutter a rapt audience, but Hart was paying attention to them, even if he tried to pretend he wasn't.

"I came here hoping for a fresh start, if I'm not going to get it just let me know now," Kavanagh snapped a little more than he'd intended. Guess that answers the question of how long I can go without pissing someone off, he thought.

Lester snorted. "You'll have to do better than that, Doctor."

Kavanagh stared after him in shock.

"He does that," Stephen said, an amused smile gracing his features. "He's a bit of an arse sometimes, but he's a good bloke mostly, if he didn't want you here he'd have said so before he made you fly a few thousand miles. So you pissed off a lot of people in your old job, huh?"

"I had a few differences of opinion," Kavanagh said somewhat evasively.

Stephen shrugged. "Easy to do."

"Every day, with almost every person I worked with," Kavanagh clarified.

Stephen laughed. "Now that's impressive."

"What's so funny?" Connor asked, apparently having finished filling Cutter in on just about everything they'd discussed.

Stephen grinned wryly and shrugged. "Nothing Conn, so did we find a way to stop the big bad creatures with big sharp teeth coming to eat us yet?"

Connor frowned, the look he always got when he missed something. "Not quite."

"I may have another idea on how to prevent the creatures coming through, if we can find a way to detect the anomalies before they appear," Kavanagh said.

Several sets of attentive eyes turned to him. Maybe he'd make it through a day without pissing anyone off after all.

*~*~*~*~*

He did make it through the day, but he was pretty sure the only reason for that was the timely arrival of the last member of Cutter's team along with the head of the Special Forces contingent. He was arguing back and forth with Cutter over the use of force-fields, and exactly why he couldn't explain how he knew about them or how the US Government had this technology, when the pixie-like blonde and the soldier walked in.

"Abby Maitland, Captain Tom Ryan, this is Doctor Peter Kavanagh," Stephen introduced.

Abby said hello and proceeded to ignore him in favour of arguing with Connor over whose turn it was to do the laundry.

Ryan gave him a steady look. "So you're the Yank."

Ryan smirked as he spoke and Kavanagh relaxed. "I'd prefer genius, insanely talented scientist, or just... brains, if you're going to give me a nickname."

For a moment, Kavanagh wasn't sure that was the right thing to say, but Ryan chuckled and his smirk grew into a grin.

"And such modesty," Ryan said. "Cutter, the anomaly in Hemel Hempstead closed about an hour and a half ago, no critters; we peeked through, lots of desert and not much else."

"Probably sometime in the Paleozoic, Permian maybe, Devonian, or Silurian..." Cutter said.

Kavanagh's argument with Cutter was forgotten for the rest of the afternoon and the scientist tried to remember that staring was rude.

*~*~*~*~*

It wasn't that Kavanagh didn't piss people off at the ARC, in fact after a couple of months, he'd pissed off most of the support staff, spent countless hours arguing with Cutter, had Abby threaten to castrate him and nearly been eaten by a raptor who thought he'd make a nice afternoon snack, but the thing about it was, he still felt like these people respected him, perhaps even liked him.

"Hey Peter," Stephen walked right up behind him into his personal space like it didn't exist.

"Stephen, where's Abby? I thought she went out with you to the anomaly this morning," Kavanagh said.

"Showers - mud, blood and dinosaur guts," Stephen said.

"Nice." Kavanagh made a disgusted face.

Stephen laughed. "You're still coming tonight, right?"

Tonight was a birthday party for Connor. Taking over one of the local bars with a bunch of scientists and military was ill-advised, Kavanagh knew that from experience, so Stephen had needled at Lester until he'd booked a suite at one of the nearby hotels instead.

Kavanagh hadn't asked how he'd convinced Lester to do it and he really didn't want to know, but with Helen Cutter sniffing around – Kavanagh hadn't actually had the pleasure, or displeasure, of meeting her yet, but her reputation preceded her – it seemed like a good thing that Stephen was distracted by their boss. Lester and Stephen were reserved at work, but they were obviously involved.

"Something funny?" Stephen asked.

"You have no idea," Kavanagh replied. "Are you and Cutter going to be able to play nicely?"

Stephen glared. "We've been playing nicely."

Kavanagh refrained from comment. Maybe it wasn't his business, but he liked to think Stephen and he were becoming friends and it was as clear as the nose on his face that Cutter's continued cold-shoulder treatment was upsetting him. He didn't know the specifics of what had occurred, only that Stephen had once had an affair with Cutter's wife and she'd let the cat out of the bag. But since Cutter and he could hardly be termed friends and Stephen wouldn't talk about it, he couldn't really comment. Still, the little he'd gleaned from other sources made Kavanagh think he'd like to slap Helen Cutter.

He'd been accused of being a bastard all his life and although he'd made a real effort not to be a complete prick since he came here, even on his worst day, even on what McKay could ever have termed his worst day, he'd come off as a polite, mild-mannered girl scout next to Helen Cutter.

"He hasn't forgiven me yet, I can't change that," Stephen said.

Kavanagh shrugged. He wasn't a shrink. "Just leave it at the door tonight; Connor's looking forward to this."

"Well, isn't this nice?" a voice Kavanagh didn't expect to hear again anytime soon, or indeed ever, announced loudly behind them.

Kavanagh swirled around in his chair. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"You wanted to use force-fields to block the anomalies, you didn't think they'd just Fed-Ex this equipment?" McKay said. "And we were in the neighbourhood, Christ, remind me next time I don't want to vacation anywhere *near* here."

"Be nice, Rodney," John Sheppard chuckled. "You look like you've settled in here nicely, Kavanagh."

Kavanagh stiffened, but refused to look away. "It's been a refreshing change of pace."

"Well, that's nice, where is James Lester, so we can get this stuff sorted and I can leave," McKay said.

"Lester isn't here, he's at a meeting, won't be back the rest of the day," Stephen said.

"That's fine," Sheppard appeased. "Maybe you could catch us up on what you've been doing here... with the dinosaurs... sounds pretty cool."

Kavanagh and McKay shared a glare of mutual dislike, but Sheppard was obviously trying to keep things civil, he wasn't sure why, the Colonel had never been very civil to him in the past, but reflecting on it, Kavanagh hadn't been particularly civil either.

"Stephen Hart, Doctor Rodney McKay and Colonel John Sheppard, I worked with them back in the States," Kavanagh lied easily, he'd become use to saying 'in the States' – without being even remotely specific about where in the States.

"Nice to meet you," Sheppard greeted with a lazy grin.

Stephen gave Kavanagh a questioning look, but accepted Sheppard's hand shake, and McKay's, with an easy smile. "Peter has been invaluable," Stephen said.

Kavanagh bit back a smile at McKay's look of shock. Maybe it'd be worth putting up with him for a few days.

*~*~*~*~*

"No way!" Sheppard, Stephen and Ryan were sitting in a cluster, discussing the various creatures they'd come across.

"So we've got this Parasaurolophus, the thing has to be maybe seven-eight feet tall and probably about two tons..." Kavanagh rolled his eyes, turning his attention back to the screen in front of him as McKay huffed by his side. He could sense McKay was itching to say something, but he ignored it, he certainly wasn't going to ask.

The blaring sound of the anomaly detector interrupted before McKay could get around to whatever he was building up to.

"Hainault Forest Country Park," Connor said, dropping down at the anomaly detector. "There's a lot of activity in that area, we'll need to get out there ASAP."

Ryan was already jogging away, as Cutter joined Connor at the detector. "Walkers are the most likely suspects to find near the anomaly, it's pretty deep into the Park, hopefully we won't have too much of a problem. We should get out there."

"Cutter, before you go," Kavanagh interrupted. "This is Doctor McKay and Colonel Sheppard, they brought the force field technology I mentioned."

"The... oh yes, right, well, I suppose you'd better come too then," Cutter said.

Kavanagh resisted the urge to make a snappy comment, he really hated going to anomaly sites. It had only happened twice, but twice was enough. As a kid he'd had the same fascination with dinosaurs most six year olds do, now, he could categorically state that dinosaurs were *not* cool. They were big, often scaly and had generally either big teeth and sharp claws, or large feet with which to stomp on you, sometimes both.

He followed Cutter and the others anyway.

*~*~*~*~*

The anomaly was in the middle of a patch of trees, Ryan and his men had already cleared the immediate area and were spreading out to clear a wider radius just in case. Cutter had called Claudia from the car and she was contacting park services and the local police to close down the park, they just had to hope nothing had come through.

When they arrived, Kavanagh wrapped a holster around his hips and accepted the tranquiliser gun Stephen handed him, checking it with a quick glance before stowing it along with several spare darts, ignoring the surprised looked from his ex-colleagues. Stephen and Ryan had been more than happy to give him basic lessons in how to fire a gun, he'd done some firearms training while at the SGC, but hadn't handled a gun in years, but now he was proficient in handguns and single shot rifles. Ryan kept threatening to teach him how to handle a machine gun, but Kavanagh told him he had no intention of being near enough to anything with big teeth to need to use one.

"Area around the anomaly is free of tracks, as far as I can tell anyway, I think we're good," Ryan said as he approached their van.

"Unless it was very small, or had wings," Stephen remarked.

"Don't tempt fate," Ryan said.

"Did you look through?" Cutter asked.

"And risk you sulking 'cause you didn't get first glance," Ryan chuckled. "No Professor, it's all yours."

"I do not sulk," Cutter grumbled, but it was good natured grumbling.

Ryan had somehow managed to maintain good friendships with both Cutter and Stephen, which Kavanagh thought was nearly a miracle.

"Could we uh..." Sheppard piped up for the first time since they'd left the ARC. McKay's eyes were fixed on the anomaly, obviously trying to work out what it was and how it worked. "Take a look as well?"

"Well, I suppose you already know what an anomaly is so no harm in it, Ryan can we take a couple of the lads through, quick recon, in and out?" Cutter asked.

"Lyle, Blade, go with them," Ryan said. "Ten minutes."

"Of course, of course," Cutter nodded. "It can be a bit daunting at first, it's almost like stepping onto another world..."

Kavanagh resisted the urge to snort, as a small grin passed over Sheppard's features, McKay rolling his eyes. Cutter had no idea of course that both men *had* stepped onto other worlds, but there was still something amusing about it.

*~*~*~*~*

"Wow," Sheppard's enthusiasm wasn't dampened by the fact he'd been to other worlds entirely, he grinned easy and bright as they looked around them.

"Where are we?" McKay asked.

"When," Cutter corrected. "I'd guess at the Cretaceous. Approximately..."

"I did go to school," McKay interrupted snappily. "It's not that impressive."

"Oh come on Rodney, this is pretty impressive, are there any dinosaurs around?" Sheppard asked.

"I don't see any tracks, but Hart's better at finding them than I am, certainly nothing big about anyway," Lyle spoke up. "You want to use your ten minutes wisely, Professor," he suggested.

"Of course, Peter, help me get some samples. Doctor McKay, if it's not above you, you're welcome to help too," Cutter said.

Kavanagh bit back a smile. Cutter could be an ass at times, but if he wanted to knock McKay down a peg, who was he to stop him?

Sheppard ended up standing beside the anomaly talking to Lyle and Blade while Cutter and Kavanagh collected samples and McKay huffed.

"Alright Cutter, time's up," Lyle said.

"Just a minute," Cutter said.

"Not even thirty seconds, Professor," Lyle told him. Cutter glared. Lyle returned the glare, raising his gun just an inch. Cutter knew Lyle wouldn't shoot him, Lyle knew Cutter knew it, but the threat was there and Cutter did as he was told. They returned to the present none the worse for wear.

*~*~*~*~*

"Anything interesting?" Ryan asked.

"Cretaceous era I think, no creature sightings but that doesn't mean we're safe," Cutter said.

"Well, I can see why you wanted to use the force fields," Sheppard said.

"Yes, ingenious, if it works. The anomalies give off a magnetic field don't they?" McKay asked.

"Yes, but if we place the generators far enough away, it shouldn't be a problem, we can create a bubble," Kavanagh said.

McKay looked like he wanted to disagree with him, just because he could, but he didn't. "We'll need to look over the readings; we may need to play with the polarity of the fields."

"No time like the present," Kavanagh said.

They spent the next three hours arguing over the best way to do what Kavanagh wanted to do.

Cutter joined in occasionally, but he was no physicist and although that didn't usually stop him, McKay's constant snipes eventually drove him off. Connor was less easily driven away and Kavanagh had to smirk when McKay was stood in open-mouthed shock as Connor corrected his computer simulation.

The anomaly closed eventually and even after half a day spent at an anomaly, everyone still insisted on going ahead with Connor's party. Connor even invited McKay and Sheppard along.

"Well, we can't leave until tomorrow at least," Sheppard said. "It could be fun."

McKay grumbled.

"Oh come on, McKay, it won't kill you, it's an open bar and there will be food," Kavanagh said. "You might even enjoy yourself."

Sheppard quickly directed McKay towards another of the cars and Kavanagh heard enough of McKay's commentary to know it wasn't polite, before he was out of earshot.

"You did that on purpose," Ryan said.

Kavanagh turned and smiled benignly at the soldier. "I'm sure I didn't, Captain."

Ryan laughed and slapped his back. "Come on, let's get out of here."

*~*~*~*~*

Kavanagh had agreed to be a 'designated driver' along with Abby and Stephen, so he took one of the ARC's black SUVs when he went home to change. Lester had raised an eyebrow at the use of government vehicles to transport home 'a drunken rabble' but he hadn't actually told them they couldn't do it.

He'd agreed to pick up Ryan, Cutter, Connor and Lyle - he didn't bother to ask why Connor wasn't going with Abby, since he _lived with her_ , the odd relationships around the ARC made Atlantis look normal. Stephen had Lester - and honestly, who did those two think they were kidding - Ditzy, Blade and Kermit. And Abby had Claudia and a couple of the other scientists, leaving the rest responsible for themselves.

Dressed in jeans and a button-down shirt - a new one he'd picked up on what he swore would be his only ever venture into shopping in central London - he picked up Ryan, who lived only ten minutes away, first.

They'd missed most of the rush hour traffic, so it didn't take long to collect Lyle, Cutter and Connor, who was practically bouncing with excitement.

"It's been years since I've had a party!" he said.

Kavanagh could relate to that, he didn't think he'd even been invited to a party in about a decade. The large gatherings they'd had on Atlantis were never invited so much as 'everyone can come' but no one would have missed him if he didn't.

"Is there going to be cake?"

Kavanagh laughed. "I'm sure someone will have remembered to pick one up from Tesco. They had some really nice Tigger ones last time I was in, I think that's what we'd decided on, isn't it?"

Connor pulled a face. "I am not Tigger!"

"Of course you aren't, Connor," Cutter agreed with the younger man, a fond grin on his face that Kavanagh could see reflected in the mirror, along with Ryan and Lyle's amused grins.

"Well, you're definitely not Eyeore. Maybe Piglet? You're not short enough but the nose..."

Connor's indignant squeal set them all into peals of laughter.

*~*~*~*~*

Connor's cake was a huge - they'd probably be eating it in the break room for a week - Han Solo cake, that made the younger man grin so wide Kavanagh was sure his jaws must be hurting with it. He'd freely embraced them all, even Lester, who'd looked embarrassed as he half returned it, and McKay and Sheppard, the latter of whom looked bemused, while McKay sputtered.

Kavanagh really wished he'd had a camera in hand at the time, but if he was very lucky maybe Claudia, who'd designated herself as the photographer, had gotten a snap. He could slip it to Sheppard and let the soldier spread it all over Atlantis. Even if Sheppard didn't much like him, he'd get a kick out of embarrassing McKay.

The presents came after the cake, Connor gleefully tearing paper off each one, excitedly thanking various people for his assorted loot. Between gift vouchers, video games and DVDs, computer-related paraphernalia and a new hat from Abby that Connor instantly perched on his head, the young man had done pretty well.

Even Kavanagh was a little covetous of the PC tablet that came from Cutter, with an embarrassed admission that the bloke in the store had suggested, so he hoped it was okay. Given the price Kavanagh knew he must have paid for it, he thought Connor might be willing to offer to have Cutter's babies in return for the extravagant gift.

The 'official' business of the party over, they all set about the business of drinking, eating and dancing - if in the loosest sense of the word when it came to some of them.

"McKay's a bit highly strung," Ryan commented, sitting beside Kavanagh at one of the tables that were set up around the edge of the dance floor.

"He's a pain in the ass," Kavanagh said. "And not nearly as smart as he thinks he is."

"Is anyone?" Ryan said with a soft laugh.

Kavanagh dug him with an elbow. "Me, clearly."

Ryan's laugh turned into a half bark, his face creased with open amusement.

"McKay's good," Kavanagh conceded softly. "Sometimes. But more than half the time he's just lucky."

Ryan shrugged. "Nothing wrong with being lucky."

"Until your luck runs out on someone else's time," Kavanagh said. "Better to always be good, than sometimes be lucky."

Ryan gave him a momentarily thoughtful look and nodded. "Fancy another drink? I'm buying."

"It's free," Kavanagh reminded. "But if you're going to the bar anyway, I'll have a lemonade and lime."

"Damn," Ryan grinned. "My plot to show my incredibly generous nature foiled."

*~*~*~*~*

It was, Kavanagh could admit, a good night. He dropped Lyle off first, glaring at the soldier when he leaned thought the open driver's side window.

"You reek of beer."

"I ought to," Lyle said grinning and planting a kiss on his cheek. "Thanks for the lift."

Kavanagh wiped his cheek with a look of disgust. "Next time you do that, I'm going to roll the window up on you," he called after the more than slightly drunk soldier.

Lyle blew a kiss at him from his front door and disappeared inside.

"And you can stop smirking," Kavanagh turned to Ryan who was in the passenger seat this time, Connor in the back with Cutter, half dozing on the professor's shoulder.

"Who, me?" Ryan gave an innocent smile.

Kavanagh snorted. "So you won't mind if I find some way to make him regret that tomorrow?"

"As long as you don't break anything we might need."

Kavanagh laughed, rolling his window back up and pulling away from the front of Lyle's building and heading towards Cutter's place to drop off Cutter and Connor, who had offered a sleepy grin and another heartfelt thank you as he half-climbed, was half-lifted from the car by Cutter.

"Abby'll be glad not to have to deal with his hangover in the morning," Cutter said. "But next time I think I'll let someone else volunteer their spare room."

Kavanagh nodded agreeably and said nothing, but once Cutter and Connor were behind closed doors, he let out a short burst of laughter.

"Something funny?" his final passenger asked.

"Many things. Infinitely so. Cutter and Connor? Stephen and Lester? Do they honestly imagine no one knows?"

Ryan shrugged. "It's their business."

"I agree, I mean, I wouldn't want people talking about my personal life, if I had one, but keeping it secret clearly isn't working. And you have to admit, they're unlikely matches," Kavanagh said, starting his drive towards Ryan's place.

"You can't control who you fall for," Ryan said quietly.

Kavanagh looked across briefly, Ryan was looking out the window, the previous humour gone.

"Sorry," Kavanagh said. "I didn't realise you... uh you know... I mean, for Stephen."

Ryan looked at him, frowning momentarily before he started to laugh. "Christ, no I don't have a thing for Hart. He's fit and don't get me wrong I wouldn't have turned down a buddy fuck, but I have no further interest beyond friendship."

"Oh, well I just thought... I didn't think Connor seemed like your type and Cutter..." Kavanagh shut himself up.

"Besides, why assume it's a bloke at all, could be Claudia," Ryan said. "Or that cute little red head nurse with the really big..."

Kavanagh snorted. "Fine, I get it, none of my business."

They drove the rest of the way in silence, Kavanagh, in spite of his words, trying to figure out who Ryan was interested in.

It wasn't Stephen, and he ruled out Cutter, Connor and Lester, as well as Claudia, Abby and the red-head nurse. It could be one of the other soldiers... maybe Lyle, they were close...

Pulling up outside Ryan's apartment building with no more of a clue, he gave himself a metal slap. It really wasn't his business anyway.

"Peter," Ryan tapped on the driver's side window and Kavanagh rolled it down, surprised when Ryan leant through, half-expecting another kiss on the cheek in some mimic of Lyle, only to find Ryan's lips covering his.

Ryan's kiss was gentle, careful, just brushing their lips together, but he held it, several moments passing in which Kavanagh forgot to breathe. "It could be your business," Ryan said softly.

The soldier had disappeared inside by the time Kavanagh remembered how to breathe again and he pulled away from the building to drive home, glad the roads were so empty this late, because his attention was certainly not 100%.

*~*~*~*~*

The next morning, almost everyone, including Sheppard and McKay, were already at the ARC when Kavanagh arrived, determined to behave as normal as possible.

When he'd arrived home the night before, tired but buzzing with the fact that _he_ was apparently who Ryan was interested in... he'd spent half the night tossing and turning before sleep finally came and still woken twenty minutes before his radio alarm started to shout at him.

He was no closer to knowing what to think, say or do about Ryan's... admission? But he wasn't going to let it get in the way of his work.

Glancing up towards Lester's office, he could see Sheppard and McKay through the open blinds, along with Lester, Claudia and Cutter. There'd been a barebones discussion at the party last night, between them, before all work talk had been banned by Claudia and now it was clearly continuing.

Kavanagh was almost pleased to note that Lester seemed to be browbeating McKay into submission with Claudia and Cutter's help and he headed to the anomaly detector to talk to Connor.

"Morning," Connor said brightly.

"How are you not hung over?" Kavanagh asked. "You were half catatonic on the way to Cutter's last night."

Connor blushed. "I didn't actually drink much. Beer makes me sleepy."

Kavanagh laughed, patting his shoulder. "I'll remember that next time you're bouncing of the walls with caffeine overload."

Connor grinned and they started to go through everything the anomaly detector had registered last night. Luckily, it hadn't been much with only one team of soldiers on call, no actual anomalies was a blessing, but they still dutifully checked through every piece of data, knowing everything and nothing could be helpful.

Kavanagh had almost relaxed.

Sipping on the tar Stephen had brought them both claiming it was coffee and theorising with Connor on various different things they were - or weren't - seeing, especially in the areas they had already encountered active anomalies.

"Morning," Lyle greeted, much less brightly than Connor had earlier and Kavanagh's cup paused half way to his mouth, looking up cautiously, because where Lyle was you were sure to find Ryan not far behind... but the Captain wasn't with him.

"Morning," Kavanagh and Connor both replied.

Lyle groaned. "God, you're both way too cheerful."

"We're not hung over," Kavanagh supplied.

"And I hate you for that," Lyle said. "Seen the boss this morning?"

"He was in the gym earlier," Connor said. "Something about training..."

Lyle groaned again. "We're all doomed."

*~*~*~*~*

Kavanagh didn't see Ryan the rest of the morning or into the afternoon. He got locked in a room with McKay, Connor and Cutter, who mainly got under their feet as they tried to figure out what the best way to create a force-field around an anomaly would be.

It wouldn't solve everything unless they could make the plans Kavanagh and Connor had been working on, to detect anomalies before they happened, a reality. But if they could make it work, they might at least save some lives.

The electro-magnetic interference would be their biggest problem, but if they could place the generators in the right way...

It was after five when they finally gave up.

Sheppard was in the break room with a few of the soldiers - Ryan included - when they headed there for coffee and in McKay's case, food.

Sheppard reminded a whining McKay that they were booked on a flight back to the States at 2200 and they needed to go back to the hotel and pack before going to the airport.

"10pm?" McKay said. "We're getting really close, can't we change..."

" _Colonel Caldwell_ is expecting us, McKay," Sheppard said, with a pointed look.

Kavanagh snorted to himself. "Well," he said. "I hope your _flight_ is comfortable. McKay, I'm sure we can manage the rest of the way without you."

McKay huffed, but soon enough let Sheppard, with polite goodbyes for everyone, direct him out of the break room and once again out of Kavanagh's life.

The group began chattering amongst themselves again as soon as they'd gone, except Ryan, who seemed fascinated by a piece of left-over birthday cake, and Kavanagh who was inhaling his coffee - made this time mercifully by Lyle, who knew how not to kill them all.

Kavanagh was so _busy_ with his coffee, he barely even realised when there was only three of them left. Him, Ryan and Lyle.

"Excuse me," he said. "I think I'll go look over our calculations again, before I go home."

Lyle waved him off with a grin, but Ryan didn't do more than grunt acknowledgement.

Returning to the lab space he'd claimed for himself, Kavanagh sighed. 'Well, it was nice while it lasted.'

*~*~*~*~*

The next few days, Kavanagh spent a lot of time working on the force-field projections. It was mostly just sitting around, but he left each day feeling tired and more than a little... lonely.

Connor was in and out, helping when he could and a few of the other scientists put their two cents in, but Kavanagh was the only one who'd ever actually worked with these force-fields and could really predict with accuracy how they'd behave, so he was mostly left alone.

Usually, when there were no anomaly shouts, he'd have more people milling around. Cutter making a pain of himself. Stephen in to talk about sports; usually hockey, or basketball, sometimes if he was feeling masochistic, American football, or as most of the soldiers called it 'sodding rugby for girls'. Some of the soldiers would pop their heads around the door, Ryan, Lyle, or Blade most often, offering some time on the range, or in the gym, or to depart him from his money in a game of poker, even thought it was usually the other way around.

This week there was none of that.

Sighing after the third time he'd replaced a 2 with a 7, he threw the black marker he'd been using on the desk and scrubbed the offending 7 off the board, decided that maybe it was time for more coffee.

It was ridiculous really. He hadn't even turned Ryan down! He hadn't even had time to! But Ryan was avoiding him and because Ryan was, most everyone else seemed to be.

Logically, he knew that was unfair, they were all busy people, even when there were no active anomalies; they had constant studies going on, creatures to look after that they hadn't been able to send him, training...

But he still felt like he'd put his foot in it and he was being punished for it somehow. And he knew a little about those things!

Shoving open the break room door with more force than was necessary, Kavanagh stopped. The room had only one other occupant, feet up on the edge of the table, book in hand, was Ryan.

Ryan looked up, eyes cool and appraising and Kavanagh sucked in a breath before taking the last few steps properly into the room. He wasn't going to back down just because Ryan was acting like a teenage girl.

"Hi," he said, pleased with how normal his voice sounded.

Ryan raised an eyebrow. "Doctor Kavanagh."

"What happened to Peter?"

"I... wasn't sure it would be welcomed anymore," Ryan said. "After what I did."

"It..." It was on the tip of Kavanagh's tongue to tell Ryan he was being a moron but he held his tongue. "You were drunk. I'm not going to hold it against you."

"I wasn't drunk, I wasn't even tipsy," Ryan said, a humourless smile on his lips. "I didn't want to fuck up our friendship though, so I'm... sorry."

"That's why you've been avoiding me?" Kavanagh asked.

"I wouldn't call it avoiding, more like..."

"Avoiding," Kavanagh said. "And I was trying so hard not to resort to calling you an idiot."

"That's trying?"

"Well," Kavanagh said. "For me, yes."

Ryan laughed softly. "I didn't need to um... avoid you then? Only, you haven't exactly gone out of your way to seek me out?"

"I thought you were pissed at me," Kavanagh said. "I like it here, I thought if I could..."

"Avoid?" Ryan said teasingly.

"Yes, fine, stop being a smug bastard," Kavanagh glared. " _Avoid_ a confrontation, I might not end up pissing you off even more. People might like me well enough around here, but if it was a choice, they'd rather have you. I learned the hard way that there's always a side to pick and very rarely has anyone picked mine."

Ryan nodded thoughtfully, his feet coming off the table and onto the floor, putting his book - face down to keep his page- on the table and moving very cautiously, across the room towards him.

"So, I'm not pissed at you and you're not pissed at me..." the soldier said.

"I think we covered that," Kavanagh said.

"Does that mean you didn't mind me kissing you?"

Kavanagh swallowed. Ryan was close enough to touch, to feel the soldier's breath against his cheek.

"Not really no," he answered softly.

Ryan's mouth curved into a fresh smile. "What about me doing it again?"

"If, uh... you wanted..."

The rest of his words were lost in Ryan's mouth.

This kiss was not like the one in the car. Ryan's hands gripped his hips, pulling him close, his tongue pressing into Kavanagh's mouth, forceful, but still surprisingly tender.

"... that's not... oh... sorry, Boss, didn't realise you'd finally gotten your head out of your arse. 'cuse us." Lyle's voice penetrated Kavanagh's brain, but Ryan wasn't letting up, until both of them were gasping for breath.

"You do realise," Kavanagh said. "That by now, half the ARC will know Lyle just caught us kissing."

Ryan shrugged. "None of their business."

Kavanagh snorted. "Because that usually stops gossip around here."

"Let 'em gossip," Ryan said. "Unless you're embarrassed?"

"By kissing you, no. By getting caught kissing you, not particularly, although Lyle's going to lord this over us for months. By it taking so long to get my head out of my own ass... ever so slightly."

Ryan laughed. "It only took four days."

"I'm counting all the time I spent not noticing you wanted me."

There was a loud knock on the break room door and Lyle came back in. "Are you two done, oh good. Lester's looking for you, boss.”

"I'll see you later?" Ryan asked softly.

Kavanagh nodded.

*~*~*~*~*

Ryan was nowhere to be found when Kavanagh was done for the day and he tried not to be disappointed by that as he packed up his laptop case and double checked the trains were running on time.

He was standing on the platform waiting for his train, when his phone buzzed with a text message.

 _Sorry. Lester actually expects me to work during work hours. You on your way home?_

Waiting until he was seated, laptop stowed carefully between the window and his hip, one hand keeping hold of it at all times, he used his free hand to type a reply.

 _How terrible of him. I'm on train now._

A few minutes later, trying to tune out the thumping techno music being played across from him, loud enough he was surprised the teenage boy's ears weren't bleeding, he felt his phone vibrate with reply.

 _Can I call over? I'll bring take out._

 _No pizza._

*~*~*~*~*

Kavanagh could smell the Chinese food before he'd even opened the door of his apartment. "Did that come from Chin's?"

"Where else?" Ryan said, grinning.

Kavanagh's mouth watered. Chin's was the best Chinese food he'd ever, ever had. Second to nothing. It was only a few blocks from the ARC though and they didn't deliver this far.

"I'll get plates and stuff," Kavanagh said. "Do you want beer?"

Ryan nodded as he set the bag of food on the kitchen counter. "Sorry I missed you earlier."

"You can miss me more often if you deliver Chin's," Kavanagh said.

"What if I also brought some of these..." Ryan said, laughing as he pulled two packets of Reese's peanut butter cup packs from his jacket pocket.

"Hand them over and no one gets hurt," Kavanagh said. It was hit and miss getting Reese's chocolate here; stores would do them for a week or two and then suddenly stop. He'd missed them enough on Atlantis; he saw no reason to go without on Earth.

"What do I get if I do?" Ryan asked.

"I told you, you don't get hurt."

Ryan laughed, raising his hand above his head as Kavanagh made a grab for the chocolate. They were pretty equal in height but Ryan was determined and kept them out of Kavanagh's reach.

"What..." Kavanagh asked, glaring. "...do you want for them?"

Ryan grinned and hooked the fingers of his free hand around Kavanagh's neck, pulling him into a kiss.

Kavanagh forgot for a moment about the chocolate, melting into the kiss, until he heard the crinkle of the wrappers against his hip as Ryan dropped his arm to hold him still. Keeping his mouth sealed over Ryan's, Kavanagh made a grab for them, pulling back and dancing out of Ryan's reach, holding them up in victory.

"I didn't just buy the two packets," Ryan said.

Kavanagh's eyes narrowed. "How many did you buy?"

"Guess you'll have to keep me sweet to find out."

*~*~*~*~*

Kavanagh reluctantly shared one of the packets of peanut butter cups after they'd finished eating, putting the other in the fridge for later.

"I bought a box of them," Ryan said. "I promise I won't tell if you eat both packets."

Kavanagh shook his head. He'd learned on Atlantis to savour the good stuff. "It's good chilled anyway, takes longer to melt in your mouth."

"You're weird," Ryan said.

"I've been called worse."

Ryan laughed and leaned across the space between them on his couch. "I like weird," the soldier murmured, pressing a kiss against his lips.

Kavanagh returned the pressure, reaching out to clasp Ryan's shoulder, pull him closer, so that he almost half toppled onto Kavanagh, forcing him back into the plump cushions of the couch.

"Peter," Ryan murmured against his lips. "Not that I'm against doing this in general, but don't Americans have ridiculous third date rules and all that?"

Kavanagh snorted. "Ridiculous is the word. We're both adults. We both want it... right?"

"Just you know, checking..."

Kavanagh chuckled softly, rolling his hips so that his cock, hard in his trousers, brushed against Ryan's. "Done checking?"

Ryan groaned. "Fuck yeah..."

*~*~*~*~*

It had been a while since Kavanagh had any company beyond his right hand. The few casual dates he'd had when he'd returned from Atlantis usually ended without chance of a second one. So Ryan's touch quickly burned through him as they kissed, tossing clothing haphazardly aside until they were both naked and panting.

Still on the couch, Ryan was underneath him now, their legs stretched out and their bodies touching from head to toe, both of them writhing together, their cocks trapped between their stomachs.

Kavanagh knew he was going to come first if they kept going, probably embarrassingly soon and reluctantly he pulled back, sitting up on his knees, gripping Ryan's cock with his hand, stroking firmly.

"Fuck... Pete..."

Kavanagh licked his lips, using his thumb to tease over the head of Ryan's cock, bringing it to his mouth to capture the taste on his tongue.

Ryan groaned, hands clenching and unclenching where they rested on his stomach.

Smiling, Kavanagh shifted back further, resting against the arm of the couch between Ryan's feet, he leaned forward and swallowed his cock.

Ryan let out a soft cry, hips thrusting upwards. Kavanagh let him, taking him as deep as he could, his throat relaxing around the cock head, while he breathed through his nose.

"Oh shit..." Ryan murmured, fingers catching in Kavanagh's hair. "So good..."

Kavanagh let Ryan control the thrusts for a few more moments, keeping his throat relaxed around the head, until Ryan was gasping with every thrust and then, taking hold of Ryan's hips to hold him in place, he let the cock slip back, leaving just the head in his mouth and sucking hard.

Ryan groaned, his hips shifting restlessly, but not trying to break past the hold Kavanagh had on them, not even when he released one to tease the other man's balls, until he felt them tighten with the tell-tale signs of orgasm.

"Fuck!" Ryan cried out as he came, come filling Kavanagh's mouth and being swallowed down quickly, until every drop was gone and Kavanagh let his tongue slide along the shaft to capture any that might have escaped.

Ryan whimpered quietly when it got to be too much and Kavanagh sat up, his own cock still hard - almost painfully so now - he was sure the first touch would set him off.

"How do you want it?" Ryan asked.

Kavanagh closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "I don't think I'll last long..."

Ryan chuckled and a strong hand wrapped around his cock. It pinched at the base, before slowly sliding up the shaft. "Tom..." Kavanagh groaned.

"Come on, give it up for me," Ryan encouraged.

Kavanagh did not need the encouragement and after a few firm strokes of Ryan's hand on his cock he was coming, spurting over Ryan's hand and groin, gasping a litany of curses and pleas.

"Damn," he muttered, collapsing into Ryan, his head resting near the other man's heart, feeling it racing under his ear.

Ryan chuckled. "Yeah, I think that covers it."

*~*~*~*~*

Kavanagh woke, the room still dark and the feel of a warm body pressed against his back, the feeling of a cock - hot and hard - pressed between the cheeks of his arse, grinding lightly.

"Hmm... I was sleeping you know," he said.

"Really? You sound awake," Ryan murmured softly, lips peppering soft kisses against the back of Kavanagh's neck and running a hand down his stomach and past his cock to cup his balls.

Kavanagh moaned softly. "Fuck, Tom..."

Ryan chuckled. "I was hoping you'd say that."

"If I fall asleep at my desk tomorrow, sorry, later today, I'm blaming you," Kavanagh muttered, turning over, rubbing his quickly hardening cock against Ryan's, as he dragged the other man into a kiss.

Ryan's tongue battled against his and Kavanagh let him get the upper hand without more than a token protest, groaning when Ryan rolled them so he was on top, his weight pressing Kavanagh into the mattress.

The frantic edge of earlier was gone and Kavanagh enjoyed the feel of Ryan's hands exploring him leisurely, mouth following slowly, across his shoulders, down over his chest, pausing to tease Kavanagh's nipples, drawing them into his mouth and swirling his tongue around them.

"Tom..." Kavanagh pulled him back up, into another kiss.

"Can I fuck you?" Ryan asked lightly, nuzzling against his ear.

Kavanagh groaned. "That's a trick question right?"

Ryan chuckled. "Not quite."

"Yes," Kavanagh said. "Just... take it easy, it's been a while."

Ryan smiled and kissed him, encouraging Kavanagh's hips up far enough to thrust a pillow under them and nuzzling his way back down Kavanagh's chest. This time Ryan paused only long enough to tease his belly button, laughing when Kavanagh squirmed, before he dropped down and took Kavanagh's cock in his mouth.

Kavanagh gasped, trying not to thrust into the moist heat. He was so distracted by it, he didn't even realise that Ryan had pulled lube from somewhere...

 _Where the hell..._ Kavanagh thought... and then he didn't care because Ryan was pressing a slick finger inside him as his tongue played around the head of Kavanagh's cock.

"Oh fuck..."

Ryan chuckled and the sensation sent a sharp unexpected snap of pleasure through Kavanagh, arching up, forcing the finger deep inside him.

Ryan pulled it back, rotating the finger lightly inside him, before a second was pressed in alongside it. The fingers twisted inside him, probing deeper, searching for his prostate, and when they brushed over it lightly, Kavanagh gasped.

Ryan's mouth was still on his cock, tongue just lightly teasing along the shaft and over the head and the combination of sensations was driving him towards orgasm fast and hard, leaving him torn between begging for more and begging Ryan to stop so he could have the other man inside him when he came.

Another finger pressed inside, stretching him, his hole clenching around the probing fingers as Ryan pressed against his prostate and he cried out, his orgasm chasing through his body as he came in Ryan's mouth, his come being swallowed down quickly.

Kavanagh panted softly as Ryan lapped every drop of come from his cock, fingers still twisting and stretching inside him, groaning with a mix of relief and disappointment when Ryan deemed him thoroughly cleaned and not only released his cock, but pulled the fingers slowly from his arse.

Ryan's mouth moved quickly back up his body, ending at his mouth, thrusting his tongue past Kavanagh's lips. Kavanagh could taste himself on the soldier's tongue and he followed it back into Ryan's mouth, trying to chase the taste as Ryan's cock - and where the fuck had that condom come from, was Ryan a magician? - thrust into him.

"Christ," Ryan ground out. "Almost tighter than a fucking virgin."

"Not quite," Kavanagh replied, the words ending with a groan as Ryan thrust balls deep.

Ryan nuzzled Kavanagh's jaw and throat as he thrust slowly, nailing Kavanagh's prostate with almost every thrust, until his cock was hard again.

Kavanagh groaned, dragging Ryan into an open mouthed kiss, pushing back against Ryan's thrusts eagerly.

He hadn't been lying when he said it'd been a while and he was already rushing headlong into another orgasm when Ryan shifted, one hand holding his weight by Kavanagh's head while the other wrapped around Kavanagh's cock.

Their bodies moved together, both sweating, moaning, Kavanagh knowing he was going to come again any fucking minute as Ryan reared inside him, thrusting as deep as he could, with a ragged cry.

Kavanagh groaned. "Please..." he begged softly.

Ryan's fist tightened on his cock and with another few tugs Kavanagh was coming, a few small spurts of fresh come coating the soldier's fingers and dripping onto Kavanagh's stomach.

"I think you killed me," Kavanagh muttered, a soft moan escaping as Ryan pulled free and tied off the condom, dropping it on the floor. "And you're cleaning that up tomorrow."

Ryan chuckled and kissed him into silence.

*~*~*~*~*

Kavanagh woke to the smell of coffee and bacon. The radio alarm was annoying, declaring that it was 'a wet and rainy morning, at just after 7am' – so, normal enough - but the awareness of another person in the flat at this time was... odd.

"Hey sleepy head," Ryan poked his head around the bedroom door, grinning and far too peppy for this time of the morning. "You want your bread toasted or virgin?"

"Uh... toasted. Why are you cooking?"

"It's a bacon sarnie, hardly cooking. Besides, I figured we could both use the extra energy after last night," the waggle of Ryan's eyebrows wasn't attractive and Kavanagh gave a half-hearted glare.

"Must you be so cheerful in the mornings?"

"I'm a naturally cheerful person," Ryan said with another grin. "Be right back."

Kavanagh shrugged to himself. Oh well, if Ryan really wanted to cook him breakfast, who was he to say no?

Several minutes of dozing later, the radio started to play a song that made his ears want to bleed and he slapped it off just as Ryan returned with a tray - he owned a tray? - with coffee, toast and bacon stacked high.

"Are you trying to fatten me up?" Kavanagh asked.

"Energy," Ryan reminded.

"I don't think I've expended this much energy all week, let alone last night."

Ryan grinned. "That's okay. We'll work some more of it off later."

Kavanagh looked at him, half way between telling him he was an idiot and laughing.

"As long as we're not late for work," he settled on instead.

Ryan laughed and took a large bite out of his bacon sandwich. Kavanagh shrugged and grabbed his own. It wasn't like everyone wouldn't know anyway. Not after Lyle catching them the day before.

"You know," he said thoughtfully. "I still have to get Lyle back for kissing me on the cheek..."

*~*~*~*~*

It took a couple of days and the assistance of an all too willing Connor, who'd been on the other side of more than a few pranks from the soldiers, usually spearheaded by Lyle.

"Who did it!?" the Lieutenant demanded, storming into the break room on the Tuesday afternoon after they'd put their plan into action.

"Who did what?" Kavanagh asked, a mask of innocence firmly in place.

"My _gun_ ," Lyle growled, waving the offending item in front of their faces.

Kavanagh, Connor, Ryan, Stephen, Abby and Blade all remained completely impassive, for about ten seconds, before they all started to laugh. First Blade with a quiet snicker and then the rest of them, until Connor and Abby had to be dragged back up onto their seats they were laughing so hard.

"It's sodding well _PINK!_ ," Lyle yelped indignantly.

"Well... did you wash it with your red underwear?" Ryan asked through his laughter.

"I will find out who did this," Lyle said. "And they will pay."

The assorted group just laughed harder as Lyle stormed back out.

"How the hell did you do it?" Blade asked, obviously impressed.

"Connor realised an 'unfortunate' problem with the security cameras in and around the armoury when he was doing routine maintenance and had to take them offline for an hour. Wasn't hard to wipe up something - safe too, the gun will still work perfectly."

"Genius," Blade said. "I doff my cap."

Kavanagh preened, as Ryan kissed his cheek. "I'll doff a lot more later," he promised in his ear.

"Aww, you two are so cute," Abby said.

"I still have paint left," Kavanagh warned. "It'll work on tranquiliser guns too."

"You wouldn't dare!" Abby said.

Kavanagh grinned. "Wouldn't I?"

*~*~*~*~*

The next few months flew past.

Lyle never did prove who painted his gun, although he accused everyone from Lester to the janitorial staff.

Kavanagh and Connor made the force-fields work, but failed to figure out how to detect the anomalies before they opened. Kavanagh still played with the idea in his free time but it seemed like for now, with the technology they had, they just weren't capable of it.

Connor and Cutter finally stopped pretending they were kidding anyone and Connor moved out of Abby's and in with Cutter. It improved the Professor's mood by leaps and bounds and even his friendship with Stephen was getting back on an even keel. At least it seemed like it to Kavanagh, who'd never known anything but the chill that had surrounded them in the wake of Cutter finding out about Stephen's youthful indiscretion.

Stephen and Lester were still being remarkably tight lipped about their relationship, although Lester had actually deemed to look concerned when Stephen had been swiped by a creature.

Helen Cutter had been spotted a few times, but was summarily sent on her merry way, the last time she'd been seen was heading through an anomaly to the Cretaceous where she could stay as far as everyone at the ARC was concerned.

And Kavanagh was probably happier, both personally and professionally than he'd been in... longer than he liked to think about.

Which wasn't to say he and Ryan didn't argue. Usually about little things, more occasionally about things like Ryan coming back from anomaly calls with assorted injuries.

The worst one, one that had laid Ryan up for six weeks, during which Kavanagh had spent that first week in a state of constant fear and that had lead to their biggest fight to date when Ryan was finally back on his feet.

And after the screaming and the make-up sex were done, had lead to the first quiet admission of love.

It was days like that, when Kavanagh found it hard to imagine being anywhere, hard to remember ever having been.

Atlantis - and everything associated with it - had been both brilliant and beautiful, if terrifying. But the ARC, with its rag tag bunch of scientists, soldiers who were all certifiably insane and dinosaurs that he some days thought made the Wraith look like fun, was more like home than any place he'd ever been.


End file.
